


The Day Everything Fell Apart

by OreozFox



Category: The Dark Crystal (1982), The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance (TV)
Genre: Dreams and Nightmares, F/M, Genocide, Repressed Memories, War
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-19
Updated: 2019-12-19
Packaged: 2021-02-25 21:07:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,865
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21861952
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OreozFox/pseuds/OreozFox
Summary: Jen has been having dreams lately. Dreams that remind him of fuzzy childhood memories.But one night, Jen dreams of something he'd rather not remember.
Relationships: Deet/Rian (Dark Crystal), Jen/Kira (Dark Crystal)
Comments: 9
Kudos: 42





	The Day Everything Fell Apart

Jen had been having odd and strangely familiar dreams for a few days now. Dreams of big, dark eyes staring down at him in adoration while a soft voice sang sweetly to him; and others of a Gelfling who much resembled himself lifting Jen onto his lap.

The dreams left Jen filled with a deep sadness when he awoke, an ebbing longing that he couldn't explain. Could these dreams be memories of his mother and father?

Despite his curiosity, Jen didn't bother Kira with these dreams, since she had been ill for a few days. Jen would have thought that his concern about Kira's ailment would have chased the recurring dreams from his mind, but they returned every night. They stayed much the same each time, with little detail.

That was, until Jen had the most horrific nightmare he'd ever experienced.

* * *

_Jen was sitting in the lap of a beautiful Gelfling, one with light, braided hair and green skin… and big, dark eyes._

_Jen was sure of it. This was his mother._

_"Oh, where could Rian be? It's getting late…" Jen's mother gathered her son in her arms and walked over to the window, concern etched in her features. She looked outside silently until Jen was startled by a loud crashing coming from not far away. His mother's ears dropped and her eyes filled with terror. "The Garthim…" she gasped. "They're coming. Oh, Rian…!"_

_Jen's mother had little time to ponder on the fate of her husband before snapping back into reality and hurrying across the room to open a trapdoor that revealed a tiny room mostly filled with spare firewood. Slowly, Jen's mother placed him in the dark room._

_"Hush. Don't cry, Jen. You have to stay quiet until I come back. Your father is in trouble." She kissed the top of Jen's head before shutting him inside the room._

_Being the infant he was at this time, Jen began to quietly sob in fear of the dark. He could hear his mother's footsteps above, even though she tried her best to be silent and slip away unnoticed. These hushed sounds were all but cut short when the deafening crash of a Garthim bursting into the house._

_The sounds that followed were horrible, but worst of all was Jen's mother crying out in agony as she was caught. All little Jen could do was try to cover his ears._

_The smashing sounds continued until the Garthim thundered away, leaving the house in an eerie silence._

_"Mama." Jen called. No answer._

_What seemed like an eternity passed before Jen heard another set of hurrying footsteps, and for a moment Jen was filled with hope that somehow his mother had survived._

_Suddenly, the footsteps halted, followed by the horrified gasp of a male Gelfling. Rian had returned, Jen realized._

_"Deet!" Rian cried, and Jen heard Rian rush to his wife's side, falling to his knees. "Deet, I'm here! Wake up! I'm right here! Oh no, no, no, no… Please, no! I can't be too late!" Rian's desperate pleas were heartbreaking to listen to. "No… Great Thra, not my family! This can't be happening. Please wake up, Deet, please!!" There was only a short spell of silence before Rian gave a raw cry of grief, like a wail. Then, he wept bitterly, as if his heart were breaking._

_The sound made Jen sob sharply, loud enough for Rian to hear, even in the midst of his suffering. His own sobs stopped abruptly, and Jen could hear Rian scrambling to his feet and hurrying to the trapdoor. He thrust open the door and pulled Jen out, beginning to cry all over again. "Oh, Jen, my son! I thought you died! Thank Thra you're alright!" Rian sobbed, holding Jen close. Jen clung to his father in return. As he looked over Rian's shoulder, Jen saw his poor mother lying in the rubble of their destroyed home, her nurloc dress soaked in crimson blood, and her face still._

_Rian covered Jen's eyes, sparing him the horrible sight. "Come, Jen. We have to run far away from here." He walked over to Deet's lifeless body, kneeling down. "I love you, Deet. I love you so much." his voice broke, "I'm so sorry that I didn't make it in time. And I couldn't even save our friends… Brea, Kylan, Gurjin, Naia, and the others… they're all dead. But I won't make the same mistake with Jen, even if it means I will have to join you and the others soon. Goodbye, my love." He leaned down and planted a kiss on Deet's forehead before standing and wiping the tears from his face. With that, he left the house forever._

_Rian fled for hours with his infant son in his arms. The sun had already begun to rise, only adding to the red glow of the burning forest. Jen was roused from his delicate slumber by the same dreaded crashing, drawing closer from all sides._

_Rian knew he could flee no longer. Any moment now, the Garthim would appear. He had to fight back. Squeezing his son one final time, Rian placed Jen in a thick cluster of reeds, putting his finger to his lips. Jen obeyed; he was so tired he doubted he had any tears left to cry. Rian hurried into the trees, and within moments Jen could hear his father fighting for his life._

_Even though he couldn't see anything from where he hid, Jen knew that Rian fought with everything he had. His strength was fueled by rage over Deet's death and the need to protect Jen. Still, Jen inevitably began to hear Rian suffering the same gruesome fate as Deet. Afterwards, the Garthim moved away again._

_This silence was not as long as before, because within minutes Jen was alerted by rustling, and the grunting of a familiar voice. All at once, Rian staggered out of the bushes, falling to his knees. His clothes were torn, revealing deep, bleeding gashes all over his body. Coughing a splatter of blood onto the ground, Rian looked around for his hiding son. "Jen, can you hear me? Come out."_

_Jen fearfully toddled out of the bushes._

_Rian smiled weakly, ruffling Jen's hair with a shaking hand. "I'm glad you're not hurt." With a groan, he fell to the ground, rolling onto his back._

_"Papa!" Jen cried, grasping Rian's tattered clothes._

_"I'm sorry, Jen… Papa can't… move much right now…" Rian whispered, struggling to take each breath. Suddenly, his ears pricked at the sound of footsteps. Despite his previous comment, Rian struggled onto his elbows and fumbled around for his sword._

_All of a sudden, a Podling scurried out of the undergrowth, clutching a wooden spoon in one hand and holding a little bundle in the other._

_"Hup…" Rian breathed._

_"Rian!" Hup ran over to the wounded Gelfling._

_"Who is that…?" Rian asked, pointing to the bundle of cloth._

_"This Kira! Rian no remember?" Hup tucked aside a fold of cloth to reveal the sleeping face of a Gelfling infant._

_"Ah, yes." Rian gave a small smile. "I'm glad you two survived." He groaned again as his head fell back against the forest floor._

_"Rian hurt! Hup take Rian to safety!" Hup said quickly, trying to pull Rian up._

_"It's no use. I'll bleed to death before you even get there. I'm done for…" Rian rasped, his breathing already slowing._

_"Not true! Hup get Rian there fast!"_

_"I appreciate it, Hup…" Rian coughed. "But there is one way you can help me."_

_"Hup do anything!"_

_"Take my son… away from here… Don't let anything happen to him. Please, you have to promise me."_

_Hup nodded earnestly. "Hup keep Jen safe! Hup take Jen to Deet!"_

_Rian's eyes clouded with grief. "No… not to Deet. Deet is dead."_

_Hup's breath hitched. "No!"_

_"I won't be far behind her. Please, Hup… take Jen somewhere, so he can grow up safe and happy." Rian pleaded._

_Hup wiped away the tears that streaked his face. "Hup k-keep Jen safe. Hup… Hup promise."_

_Rian gave one last smile. He patted the Podling's shoulder. "Thank you, Hup… Grow up strong, Jen…" Before he could say anything else, the light faded from Rian's eyes and his body went limp._

_"Rian!!" Hup cried, dropping his spoon and using the free hand to shake Rian. "Wake up, Rian!"_

_"Papa!" Jen prodded his father, trying to wake him. But it was too late. Rian was dead._

_"D-Don't cry, little Jen. Hup take Jen and Kira somewhere safe. Hup not let anything happen to Jen." Hup said, putting his arm around Jen. He helped Jen up and began to lead him away, but the group was stopped by a tall creature standing in their way._

_"UrSu!" Hup recognized the Mystic._

_"I'm afraid that Jen must not be raised by Podlings. I have received a prophecy. For the war to end, the Mystics must raise the boy."_

_Hup hesitated._

_"I understand your reluctance, Podling. But we must do everything we can to stop the Skeksis' rule."_

_Hup sighed. He turned to Jen and hugged him with his free arm. "Hup sorry. Hup listen to Mystic. Goodbye, Jen." Then, he backed away as UrSu scooped Jen up in his large hand. All of the sounds around Jen were drowned out by a single voice._

_"Jen! Jen!"_

* * *

  
  


Jen's eyes snapped open as he awoke with a gasp. He could feel warm tears drying on his face as he lay shaking in the bed he and Kira shared. He was home. _It was just a dream. No… No, it wasn't a dream. All of those things really happened, didn't they?_

"Jen, what happened? You were crying and thrashing around!" Jen looked up to see Kira's concerned face.

Overcome with emotion, Jen threw his arms around Kira and cried into her chest. Kira hugged him back with little hesitation, petting his hair comfortingly. When at last Jen had calmed down enough to speak, he took a deep breath and told Kira everything. 

Kira listened without a word until Jen was finished. "Do you think that was what happened to your parents?" she asked softly.

Jen nodded. "I'm sure of it, Kira. It was… so horrible…"

"I know." Kira said with great sympathy in her voice, kissing the top of Jen's head. "But the war is over now. The Skeksis and Garthim are gone. Nothing's going to happen to us… or our child."

Jen looked up immediately, his blue eyes wide. " _Our_ child?"

Kira nodded with an excited smile, guiding his hand to her belly. "That's why I was ill. We're having a baby, Jen!"

Jen stared dumbfounded at his wife before embracing her again, laughing joyously. 

Kira laughed as well, hugging him tightly. "Well, that certainly lifted your spirits!"

Jen sighed blissfully, closing his eyes. It was true. The deep sadness he'd felt had lightened considerably.

_Mother, Father, I don't know if you can see me now, but I hope you're proud of me. I promise I'll take care of Kira and the baby, just like you two wanted to do for me._ Jen thought. _I hope that when the time comes, I can meet you two again._

  
  
  


**Author's Note:**

> I'm sorry. It hurt to write this.


End file.
